Federal ministries increased to 32

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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For those who want to know what this means…it means calling all lotas, free sarkari job if you don’t listen to your Zameer’s awaz

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: The number of federal ministries has been increased from the previous 26 to 32 to allow Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to have an expanded cabinet.

The rules of business of the government of Pakistan have been amended to formally increase the number of federal ministries to 32. Interestingly, General Pervez Musharraf sanctioned this increase in the number of ministries on November 22, after Jamali’s election by the National Assembly as the leader of the house but a day before his formally assuming the office of the chief executive.

It was Musharraf’s one of the final decisions as the chief executive of the country, the office that he formally left on November 23. According to the sources, his political advisers advised the president to increase the number of federal ministries to allow the otherwise Jamali’s shabby government to induct maximum number of ministers and ministers of state.

This initiative of the General Musharraf was a total contrast to his three-year’s rule focussed on the rightsizing of the official machinery. Musharraf’s confidant lieutenant and the former chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau Lt-Gen (retd) Tanvir Naqvi had instead suggested, during final weeks of the military regime, to reduce the number of ministries from 26 to 16 or even less.

According to the amendments already made to the rules of business, the number of federal ministries has been increased to 32 whereas the federal divisions have gone up from previous 35 to the new 36.

The Finance Ministry that previously comprised five divisions, including Finance Division, Planning and Development Division, Statistics Division, Revenue Division and Economic Affairs Division, has been bifurcated into three separated ministries. These are Finance and Revenue Ministry, Economic Affairs and Statistics Ministry and Planning and Development Ministry.

The Interior Ministry has been divided into the Interior Ministry and Narcotics Control Ministry. The previous Ministry of Science and Technology has also produced two ministries ie Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Information Technology.

The past Ministry of Environment and Local Government has also been divided into Environment Ministry and Local Government Ministry. The previous ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs has also been divided into the Law Ministry and the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

The amended Schedule i of the rules of business now include the following list of ministries and divisions:

  1. Cabinet Secretariat having a) Cabinet Division, and b) Establishment Division.

  2. Ministry of Commerce with a) Commerce Division.

  3. Ministry of Communications with a) Communications Division.

  4. Ministry of Minorities, Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs with a) Minorities, Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs Division.

  5. Ministry of Defence with a) Defence Division, and b) Defence Production Division.

  6. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Statistics with a) Economic Affairs Division, and b) Statistic Division.

  7. Ministry of Education with a) Education Division.

  8. Ministry of Environment with a) Environment Division.

  9. Ministry of Finance and Revenue with a) Finance Division, and b) Revenue Division.

  10. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock with a) Food, Agriculture and Livestock Division.

  11. Ministry of Foreign Affairs having a) Foreign Affairs Division.

  12. Ministry of Health with a) Health Division.

  13. Ministry of Housing and Works with a) Housing and Works Division.

  14. Ministry of Industries and Production with a) Industries and Production Division.

  15. Ministry of Information and Media Development with a) Information and Medial Development Division.

  16. Ministry of Information Technology with a) Information Technology and Telecommunications Division.

  17. Ministry of Interior with a) Interior Division.

  18. Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and States and Frontier Regions with a) Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and States and Frontier Region Division.

  19. Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis with a) Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Division.

  20. Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights with a) Law, Justice and Human Rights Division.

  21. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with a) Local Government and Rural Development Division.

  22. Ministry Of Narcotics Control with a) Narcotics Control Division.

  23. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs with a) Parliamentary Affairs Division.

  24. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources with a) Petroleum and Natural Resources Division.

  25. Ministry of Planning and Development with a) Planning and Development Division.

  26. Ministry of Population Welfare with a) Population Welfare Division.

  27. Ministry of Privatisation with a) Privatisation Division.

  28. Ministry of Railway with a) Railways Division.

  29. Ministry of Religious Affairs and Zakat Usher with a) Religious Affairs and Zakat and Usher Division.

  30. Ministry of Science and Technological Research with a) Science and Technological Research Division.

  31. Ministry of Water and Power with a) Water and Power Division.

  32. Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education with a) Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Division.

A ministry is headed by a minister and it can have a minister of state. The ministry may contain more than one division, which is headed by a secretary. A few weeks before the transition of power the national reconstruction bureau had recommended the shake-up of the federal divisions to bring their number down to 20 from the then 35.

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**Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education with a) Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Division. **

YES :k: :k: :k: :k: :k:

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According to a news report in Dawn newspaper, even 32 is too small a number. The speculation is that the federal cabinet may expand to 100 members as many of PML-Q MNA’s are upset at not being rewarded enough for supporting Jamali saheb whereas almost all lotas of PPPPP got lucrative ministeries.

I think these people think government is just a joke. I bet 99% of them have no clue how badly our budget is in deficit and how much it costs to support a ministry (with a federal minister, a minister of state and a number of parliamentary secretaries plus their support staff). Its a mess. This is probably the worst group of ruling MNA’s I have seen in the last 14 years. Whats next? The remaining 72 treasury MNA’s will also want a slot in the federal cabinet!

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No wonder, people in India tend to compare Pakistan with Bihar/U.P. At least Pak is catching up vis a vis the size of jumbo cabinets.

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dhir

I thought India had 40 ministries, including one specifically for coal i.e. ministry of coal.

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lol...It reminds me of Yassir Arafat who has 32 ministries too. He even doesn't have the recognized country. I wonder what those 32 ministeries do in the ruins of Palestine...lol

Our politicians remain immature as usual. Instead, it appears to be getting from bad to worse!

Well, I would recommend some 12 ministeries:

  1. Foreign Affairs

  2. Internal Affiars

  3. Education (Science Technology, IT and human development of women etc. are all educatory of nature)

  4. Health

  5. Defence

  6. Finance

  7. Economy

  8. Energy

  9. Communication(All sorts of infrastructures like railways, waterways, highways, internet, post, telephone etc)

  10. Agriculture

  11. Industry

  12. Recreation

  13. Law

If you focus clearly, you can merge all other ministeries into the above. :)

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zabardast, but #9 should be infrastructure then, not communications.

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Zabardast

Why did you skip Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education with a) Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Division?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fraudz: *
zabardast, but #9 should be infrastructure then, not communications.
[/QUOTE]

You cannot communicate or travel if you don't have infrastructure. So they are relevant or the nature of kind. :)

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[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
**Zabardast*

Why did you skip Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education with a) Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Division?
[/QUOTE]

I suppose that can be a dept within internal affairs. although zabardast did include that under education.

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[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
**Zabardast*

Why did you skip Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education with a) Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Division?
[/QUOTE]

Listen, we are a faqir country. We cannot afford such a huge govermental system which only complicates and delays the progress while in need badly.

Women development can go to education. Or you want handicapped ministry and child development too. Its all same. Make some departments in a ministry. And not another ministry.

Social welfare can go to Recreation. :)

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zabardast

remeber the common joke when BB was the prime sinister, that she would form a new ministry for kids and have bilawal be the minister for that ministry :)

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Zabardast: *

Listen, we are a faqir country.
[/quote]

Pakistan's society has been a Male-Oriented since the Independence, giving women second class treatment.

What can you more expect that?

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PT

we had a woman prime minister and enough women MNAs and MPAs to really do something for women's cause if they wanted.

I mean they were not concerned with women's causes but "woman's" causes i.e. their own power, and looting.

Just setting up a ministry is not goignt o do jack, just like having umpteen million women MNAs or MPAs or ministers..its commitment and accountability.

which, to my knowledge, has not existed.

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Just setting up a ministry is not goignt o do jack, just like having umpteen million women MNAs or MPAs or ministers..its commitment and accountability.

I think women and other deprived groups should make some kind or organizations to press their points to national, provincial or local goverments. :)

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fraudz: *
PT

we had a woman prime minister and enough women MNAs and MPAs to really do something for women's cause if they wanted.
[/quote]

Fraudia,

We had a woman PM but she didn't work for women in Pakistan. As for MNA's and MPA's, we never had in majority as we do now. Thanks to Musharraf for reserving 72 seats for women in the National Assembly.

I say give it a try at least. Inshallah, it will work.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Zabardast: *

I think women and other deprived groups should make some kind or organizations to press their points to national, provincial or local goverments. :)
[/QUOTE]

Women & Children Welfare Program :)

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *

Women & Children Welfare Program :)
[/QUOTE]

Yes, not only women and childeren. But all deprived groups ignored for long time should join and/or organize some kind of organizations at local, provincial and federal level. I am sure it will work. You have to fight to get something or right. You don't get it in sleep. Do you? :)

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *

Pakistan's society has been a Male-Oriented since the Independence, giving women second class treatment.

What can you more expect that?
[/QUOTE]

All ministries cater for every men, women and child in Pakistan. These should be based on functions and requirements of government. Not based on gender. By singling out 'Women Development' as a separate ministry, you are treating them as a second-class citizens. Whats next? A separate ministry for "Men Development" and a third one for "Children Development"? Thats so stupid.

I believe, at federal level, we only need the following ministries:

  1. Defence
  2. Finance
  3. Foreign Affairs
  4. Law
  5. Inter-provincial Coordination

All the remaining ministries, should ONLY be at provincial level. Why duplicate things? Pakistan was conceived as a Federation. Provinces should collect taxes and remit a fixed percentage to the federal government to cover national functions. Over time, the process has reversed. Now federal government collects the bulk of taxes and distributes a portion back to the provinces on an arbitrary manner. This also gives rise to discontent in the provinces, especially smaller provinces.

Plus having dozens of ministries means loads of excess expenditure with multiple people being bosses, and resultantly nothing getting done, and all projects are prey to personal egos and political pressures.

Unfortunately, due to the coalition nature of our federal government and a very weak Prime Minister, things can only go worse. Expects tons of more ministers, and ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries, which will serve as a political bribe for supporters.

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All the remaining ministries, should ONLY be at provincial level.

All the other ministeries are essential at federal level. Imagine, if we don't have uniformity in education, health and salaries; how a Balochi going to find a good job in Sindh or Punjab? We should bring equity to the whole society. :)